Apparatus for binding mesh mats in stacks

ABSTRACT

The invention is concerned with apparatus for binding together aligned and stacked wire-mesh mats wherein a hairpin shaped binding wire is pushed over aligned wires in the stack of wiremesh mats and the ends of the hairpin shaped wires are bent over to secure the mats together.

tates atent Ritter et a1.

[451 Feb. 25, 1975 APPARATUS FOR BHNDING MESH MATS 1N STACKS Inventors: Klaus Ritter; Hans Gott, both of 1 Graz, Austria Verwertungsgesellschaft, Graz, Austria Filed: June 22,1973

Appl. No.: 372,591

Foreign Application Priority Data June 27, 1972 Austria 5553/72 US. Cl 140/93 D, 29/33.5, 29/243.56,

29/509, 140/936, 140/119 Int. Cl B211 45/00 Field 01' Search 29/243.57, 243.56, 509,

29/335 F, 200 B; 227/92, 61, 62; 140/115-118, 119, 93.6, 93 D, 93 R, 93 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 317,480 5/1885 Young 140/93 D UX 2,265,277 12/1941 Gerke 29/243.57

3,058,118 10/1962 Kugler 29/243.56 X 3,169,559 2/1965 Working 149/119 3,266,138 8/1966 Tipper 29/243.57 X 3,695,311 10/1972 Hanigan 140/93.6

Primary ExaminerChar1ie T. Moon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ernest F. Marmorek [57] ABSTRACT The invention is concerned with apparatus for binding together aligned and stacked wire-mesh mats wherein a hairpin shaped binding wire is pushed over aiigned wires in the stack of wire-mesh mats and the ends of the hairpin shaped wires are bent over to secure the mats together.

8 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTH] FEB25 I975 SHEEI 1 at 1 l I I 4 I I I II.

FIG. B

FIGZ

PATENTED FEB2 5 LETS SHEET 3 of g FB.6 FIG.7

PATENTH] FEBZS I95 sumunr z APPARATUS FOR BINDING MESH MATS IN STACKS In the production of welded wire meshes the problem arises of combining the finished mesh mats so as to be easily transportable For this purpose it is advisable to stack a predetermined number of mesh mats and to bind them together into packets.

It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for binding together stacked wire meshes, by means of which a predetermined number of mats can be bound together, fully automatically, at any desired number of places, to form a packet.

According to the invention apparatus for binding together aligned, stacked wire mesh mats comprises a binding-wire feeder having an elongate slot therein which in use receives a length of binding wire bent into the shape of a hairpin and pushes the hairpin wire over aligned wires of the mesh mat stack, and a binding head movable into alignment with the elongate slot of the binding-wire feeder, the binding head in use bending the two ends of the hairpin wire to prevent the wire from being withdrawn from the stack and thus binding together the stack.

A supporting arm may be provided to support the stack of mats to be bound, and the binding-wire feeder, the binding head and the supporting arm may be pivotable about an axis perpendicular to the planes of the mats. In this case, a bending mandrel may advantageously be disposed in an operating position remote from the binding position of the bindingwire feeder, over which mandrel the binding-wire feeder can be slid with its elongate slot acting as a die, for the purpose of bending a portion of binding wire into hairpin shape.

The invention also includes a method of binding together aligned, stacked wire-mesh mats, the method comprising the steps of providing a hairpin shaped wire directly above aligned mesh wires; lowering the hairpin wire over the mesh wires, the ends of the hairpin wire then being bent by a binding head situated beneath the stack of mesh mats.

Several examples of apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing a group of four of the devices;

FIG. 2 shows the same group in plan view;

FIG. 3 shows a single binding device in side elevation;

FIG. 4 shows the device of FIG. 3 in plan view;

FIG. 5 shows a section through a twisting head of the device;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a binding-wire feeder with a magazine for the binding wires, in front and side elevation respectively;

FIG. 8 shows, in front elevation, another bindingwire feeder which cooperates with a bending die;

FIG. 9 shows the bending die of FIG. 8 in plan view;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show the binding point ofa stack of mats, produced with the devices as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in section and in plan view respectively;

FIGS. 12 and 13 show another modification of the device in which the binding wires are withdrawn from a coil of wire, in side elevation and plan view respectively; and,

FIG. 14 shows a modification of a wire feeding device for withdrawing the binding wire from a delivery spool.

FIG. 1 shows two packets of mesh mats l which have already been bound, and a stack of mats 2, which is lying ready for binding.

As can be seen, the stack of mats 2 rests on four supporting arms 3 which are pivotally mounted on columns 4 which also carry the binding devices.

Each supporting arm 3 may be equipped with a binding head 5 or this may be a separate part. In either case however, both the supporting arm 3 and the binding head 5 must be able to swing about the column 4. By swinging the supporting arm 3 and the binding head 5 out from the position shown in FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows P, the packet of mats 2 can be lowered onto the packets of mesh mats 1 after binding has been effected.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a working cylinder 6 is provided for the swinging of the binding head 5 and of the supporting arm 3. A binding-wire feeder 7 is mounted above the stack of mats 2 and is vertically movable relative to the binding head 5, by means of a working cylinder 8. In addition, the binding-wire feeder 7 can be pivoted about the column 4 by a working cylinder 9. I

In the position illustrated in FIG. 2, the binding-wire feeder 7 is situated in front of a wire magazine, which is not illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the sake of clarity, so that it can take the first wire out of this magazine. The arrangement of the binding-wire feeder in relation to the wire magazine 10 can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7.

The wire magazine 10 consists of guide plates 11 which are disposed laterally and which are mounted in pairs at a distance apart corresponding substantially to the length of the binding wire, and of a supporting plate 12 mounted in the middle between the plates 11. Binding wires 13, which are cut to length, rest between or on these plates. Guard plates 14, which are provided on the upper, outer guide plates, and a guard plate 15, which is mounted on a bending mandrel I6, in cooperation with the bending mandrel l6 prevent the binding wires from slipping out of the magazine 10. Two feed fingers 17, which are mounted for rotation about a shaft 18 under spring loading, in use push the binding wires 13 against the bending mandrel I6 and the guard plates 14 and 15. I

If the binding-wire feeder 7 is lowered out of the position shown, by the working cylinder 8 (FiG. 3), then it presses, on both sides of the bending mandrel 16, against the lowest binding wire 13 in the magazine 10. As a result, this binding wire is bent in the form of a hairpin round the bending mandlrel, in the course of which the recess in the binding-wire feeder 7 engages over the bent binding wire. During this, the deformed binding wire comes'to lie in a semicircular groove in the hairpin-shaped recess in the binding-wire feeder and its lower ends project beyond the lower ends of the binding-wire feeder 7 and are ready for the binding.

Since, as a result of its natural resilience the binding wire has the tendency to spring back to a certain extent out of the bent hairpin-shape position, it remains held in the groove in the hairpin-shaped recess in the hind ing-wire feeder when the binding-wire feeder 7 is raised and so can be lifted out of the magazine and off the bending mandrel 16.

The binding-wire feeder 7 can now be swung about the column 4 by means of the working cylinder 9 and be guided over the binding head 5 which is already situated below the stack of mats 2.

The binding head shown in FIG. 5 is a twisting head 50 and has two bores 19 to receive the lower ends of the binding wire bent into hairpin shape.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the binding head 5, which may, for example, be a twisting head 5a as shown in FIG. 5, is pivotally mounted in the supporting arm 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the twisting head 50 is connected to a pinion wheel 20, for rotation therewith, the pinion being in mesh with a rack 21. The rack 21 is the extension of the piston rod of a working cylinder 22 shown in FIG. 4. When pressure is applied to the piston of the working cylinder 22, the rack 21, which is displaced, sets the twisting head 5a in motion. The piston stroke in the working cylinder 22 is determined, by known limiting means not illustrated, so that the bores 19 in the twisting head 5a are always situated precisely below the ends of the hairpin-shaped binding wire, when the binding-wire feeder 7 has been pivoted into the working position above the twisting head 5.

By means of the apparatus described so far, it is pos sible, first to introduce the ends of the binding wire bent into hairpin shape into the bores 19 in the twisting head 5a. For this purpose, the binding-wire feeder 7 is pivoted over the twisting head 50 by operation of the working cylinder 9 and then lowered by operation of the working cylinder 8. As soon as the ends of the length of binding wire, which project beyond the recess in the binding-wire feeder 7, have entered the bores 19 in the twisting head 5a, pressure is admitted to the piston in the working cylinder 22, as a result of which the piston rod is displaced and the twisting head 5a is set in rotation. As a result, the ends of the wire are twisted together and the stack of mats is therefore bound to form a packet.

Instead of the twisting head 5a, a bending die 5b can also be used as a binding head. Such a bending die 5b is illustrated in elevation in FIG. 8 and in plan view in FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, guide grooves 24 are seen clearly, which guide the ends of the binding wire to be deformed and shape them into two hooks bent in opposite directions. In FIGS. and 11, part of a stack of mesh mats l bound by means of such a bending die is illustrated in elevation and plan view respectively. It will be seen that the superimposed points of intersection l of the wires of the mats l in the packet are surrounded by a wire clip 23.

In the example shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the binding wire is withdrawn directly from a coil of wire 25 and supplied to the binding apparatus. The withdrawal of the binding wire from the coil of wire 25 may be effected in various manners. For example, the binding wire can be guided between two friction rollers 26. These rollers may be driven by a working cylinder 27, in which case the piston rod of the working cylinder is again connected to a rack, the teeth of which are in mesh with a pinion which is connected to one of the two friction rollers for rotation therewith through a freewheel gear. On its way between the coil of wire 25 and the binding apparatus, the binding wire may appropriately travel through a dressing device 28 in which it is straightened.

Instead of the friction rollers 26, a gripping device 29 may be mounted on the end of the piston rod of the working cylinder 27 as shown in FIG. 14, the gripping device being so formed that it grasps and entrains the binding wire on each feed stroke of the piston of the working cylinder.

A cutting device 30 is provided on the feed device for cutting to length each portion of binding wire. With this example of the device a wire magazine is superfluous. In this case, it is sufficient to convey the binding wire, for example, through two guide members which are bent into U-shape and open downwards and which are mounted with spacing one at each side of the bending mandrel 16. In this case, the shaping of the binding wire into its required hairpin-shaped form is effected in precisely the same manner as in the examples previously described.

The apparatus as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 differs from the examples previously shown in that the binding-wire feeder 7 and a twisting head 5a form a common unit which can be swung about the column 4 by a working cylinder 31. The binding-wire feeder 7 and the twisting head 5a are therefore always vertically one above the other. The supporting arm 3 can be swung about the column 4 by a working cylinder 32.

The examples illustrated still permit numerous modifications with regard to the structural formation of the individual parts, within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, groups of only two binding devices or groups of more than four devices for binding large mats may be combined to form a unit.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for binding together aligned and stacked wire-mesh mats, wherein the improvement comprises a binding wire feeder having an elongated slot, ar-

ranged to receive a length of binding wire bent into hairpin shape with the ends thereof protruding from said elongated slot and to push said hairpin shaped wire over aligned wires in said stack of wire-mesh mats; and

a binding head movable into alignment with said slot of said binding wire feeder and adapted to bend over the two protruding ends of said hairpin wire, thus preventing withdrawal of said hairpin wire and binding said stacked mats together,

wherein a supporting arm is provided to support said stack of mats to be bound, and

said binding-wire feeder, said binding head and said supporting arm are pivotable about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said stacked mats.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the binding head is integral with said supporting arm and a piston and cylinder are provided to produce said pivotal movement of said supporting arm and binding head.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binding-wire feeder is adapted for axial displacement along said perpendicular axis, and a second working cylinder and piston are provided to move said binding-wire feeder along said axis, a third working cylinder and piston being provided for pivoting said binding-wire feeder about said axis.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binding-wire feeder and said binding head are coupled together for common pivotal motion about an axis perpendicular to the planes of said mats, a piston and cylinder being provided to produce a pivoting motion of said parts about the axis.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binding head is constructed in the form of a rotatable twisting head and has two bores adapted to receive the ends shape the ends of said hairpin binding wire, pressed into said bending die by said binding-wire feeder, into two hooks bent in opposite directions.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bending mandrel is mounted in a working position remote from the binding position of said binding-wire feeder over which mandrel said binding-wire feeder can be slid with its elongate recess acting as a die, for bending a portion of binding-wire into said hairpin shape. 

1. Apparatus for binding together aligned and stacked wire-mesh mats, wherein the improvement comprises a binding wire feeder having an elongated slot, arranged to receive a length of binding wire bent into hairpin shape with the ends thereof protruding from said elongated slot and to push said hairpin shaped wire over aligned wires in said stack of wire-mesh mats; and a binding head movable into alignment with said slot of said binding wire feeder and adapted to bend over the two protruding ends of said hairpin wire, thus preventing withdrawal of said hairpin wire and binding said stacked mats together, wherein a supporting arm is provided to support said stack of mats to be bound, and said binding-wire feeder, said binding head and said supporting arm are pivotable about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said stacked mats.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the binding head is integral with said supporting arm and a piston and cylinder are provided to produce said pivotal movement of said supporting arm and binding head.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binding-wire feeder is adapted for axial displacement along said perpendicular axis, and a second working cylinder and piston are provided to move said binding-wire feeder along said axis, a third working cylinder and piston being provided for pivoting said binding-wire feeder about said axis.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binding-wire feeder and said binding head are coupled together for common pivotal motion about an axis perpendicular to the planes of said mats, a piston and cylinder being provided to produce a pivoting motion of said parts about the axis.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binding head is constructed in the form of a rotatable twisting head and has two bores adapted to receive the ends of said binding wire projecting out of said binding-wire feeder.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a working cylinder and piston are provided to produce rotation of said twisting head, the piston rod, which is partially constructed in the form of a rack being in mesh with a pinion which is connected to said twisting head for rotation therewith.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binding head is constructed in the form of a bending die and comprises two guide grooves which are arranged to shape the ends of said hairpin binding wire, pressed into said bending die by said binding-wire feeder, into two hooks bent in opposite directions.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bending mandrel is mounted in a working position remote from the binding position of said binding-wire feeder over which mandrel said binding-wire feeder can be slid with its elongate recess acting as a die, for bending a portion of binding-wire into said hairpin shape. 